Welcome

Thank you for reading my blog.  I know how busy you are.

My day to day life involves two small children, both girls that are five and two.  Our five year old was diagnosed with autism a few months after her second birthday.  We've been holding our breath sorta, kinda about our two year old, but we can safely say she is neurotypical.  Phew. Phew. Phew.

I was super-lucky when we heard the news about our older daughter's diagnosis.  I googled and found hope.  The day after the diagnosis she was gluten, casein and soy free.  I read it could help, and by God I do everything in my power to help. I'm a very no-nonsense sort of person.  I act and then experience the emotions later.  I don't have a lot of tolerance for hemming and hawing about stuff.  In my journey, when I flounder, it isn't a good idea for me or my family.

The diet was first.  Getting us on waiting lists for services and clinicians was next.  The DAN movement was about a month later when we talked our way into an appointment with a now famous DAN doctor (the nurse simply couldn't keep telling me day after day that the doctor didn't have 15 minutes for us).  I knew deep down that my daughter was ill.  She looked and acted it.  I thought if I improved her health, she would be cured.  Yes, I said cured.

I was wrong.  I love Jenny McCarthy's image of a kid getting hit by a bus best.  After getting hit by a bus, no one will ever be cured but he/she could recover from the injuries.  My daughter has made tremendous gains over the past few years.  She is not recovered, by any means.  She speaks and plays.  She's very gifted cognitively.  She is anxious and inapporpriate socially.  Her biggest challenges  are socially, visual-spatially, vestibular/motor planning and her expressive speech.

This is where we are after spending every minute helping her recover for almost three years now.  Did I mention every dime we have (and don't have) too?

My husband is a creative genius.  One of the many reasons that I married him.  He came up with this brilliant idea of free stuff for families impacted by autism in the shower one morning.  Can I be cynical?  He often comes up with great ideas and then someone else becomes rich because he never organizes himself behind the idea.  He got organized.  Got amazing people in Hollywood to work for free for autismfreezone.  Got people excited about this idea, including the guy who helped start Craig's List---I thought that was pretty cool when I heard he had several meetings with him.  I'm proud of him.

It makes total sense to me.  People joining together as a community to act jointly to get things for less or for free.  Ummmmm...isn't that what Costco is all about...they've done pretty well for themselves.  Let us do the same.